Older parents and their adult children who are developmentally disabled and still live at home represent a population frequently neglected by both the developmental disabilities and aging service networks. Many elderly care providers, who have devoted their lives to raising their son or daughter with disabilities, are now becoming increasingly frail and unable to meet their own needs let alone that of their dependent adult child. Due to multiple factors they have become isolated from and suspicious of both the aging and disabilities formal delivery systems. Yet, this group is in need of services to insure that supports are available to help them maintain a quality family lifestyle and to systematically plan for the future long term care of their child. The overall goal of the proposed project will be to develop, produce, and test a video training program for elderly parents who have adult children with developmental disabilities living with them. In Phase I, we will produce The Life History Album - an innovative and unique approach to help parents begin the permanency planning process. The completed program will consist of a series of five training modules: l) Building The Life History Album, 2) Legal and Financial Issues, 3) Present Care - Meeting your Child's Social and Emotional Needs, 4) Future Care - Residential Options, 5) Your Child and the Future.
The primary market for the Life History Album video is the 479,000 households in which a parent, aged 60+ cares for a child with a developmental disability. The Life History Album is a video with accompanying printed materials that results in a useful product for the parents. Using direct mail and advertising, this product will be promoted to this parent group and other secondary markets, i.e. local Arcs and social service agencies that serve individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
